Opposites Attract
by CaskettMyHeart
Summary: Prompt: "Au where Carmilla and Laura first meet at a masquerade or party." For years she came to The Masquerade. Every year it was the same. Dance with some girls and maybe some guys, maybe flirt a bit, but never more. She had rules for that. It had never been anything special. And then came the beautiful light angel who caught her eye.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 - A dark perspective

This was what she loved. The dimmed lights caused her to blend in with the crowd. She always dressed this way, in a dark colored dress, and she was wearing her favorite black-gold one tonight. The room was filled with young adults and students who were out to have a good time. Though this was not like any other party out there. No, this was The Masquerade. This party seemed more like a prom only with the same theme every year, better music, no supervision, alcohol, and some very beautifully dressed girls.

She had found a new dress every year she went. And she'd been going there for quite some time. Hey, a vampire from the 17th century had to remember her time as a human somehow, right?  
Somehow, she had managed to find her favorite yet. A soft black fabric with a gold touch at the side where her leg was visible as she walked. It had a classy, yet modern look to it. It wasn't her usual leather, but she loved the powerful feeling she got when she wore it. And the mask, oh the mask fit her so perfectly well. The golden paint faded to black at the sides while beautiful curls in golden glitter ran along the eyes. She herself had added a few black stripes with black paint to make it look even more artistic and modern. But her favorite thing about the mask? It wasn't the look of it. No, not at all. It was the fact that she could walk around while no one would immediately recognize her. It kept her air of mystery while she swept through the crowd. She wasn't particularly looking for someone to dance with, in fact, she had declined quite a lot of young men who had offered. She didn't give them an explanation, she merely looked them straight in the eyes before turning away from them, leaving the poor guy wondering what the hell just happened. They probably weren't used to being rejected. Not her fault.

As the dark haired girl was just ordering a drink. She wasn't staring at the girl who just walked in. No, she was just waiting for her drink and scanning the crowd when her eyes came across her. She certainly did *not* let her eyes linger too long on the petite woman who looked around nervously at the edge of the dance floor. She felt like the petite woman would look at the any second now, and she was going to get caught, but she didn't care. Thankfully, the bartender tapped her shoulder at the right time to hand her the drink she had almost completely forgotten about. She wasn't sure what she would have done if he hadn't tapped her shoulder. Normally, she wasn't the one to shy away from anyone, but this girl left her speechless simply by walking into the big hall where the masquerade was kept.

The woman wore a necklace with an L. Maybe for a boyfriend? Girlfriend perhaps? Anyway, she had to be taken. She couldn't possibly be here without a date. No one- Well, no one but her did that.  
Even now that her drink was emptied and she resumed her dance on the crowded dancefloor, she could still see the petite woman whenever she blinked. The soft sky blue dress that framed the waist of the young woman so perfectly was one of the most beautiful she'd ever seen. It was elegant with the silver decorations alongside the lines and her breasts. Yes, she had made the mistake of thinking of how every single piece of her shoulders was revealed by the strapless dress the nameless girl wore. She really had to find out more about her. She spun around to try and clear her head because no, this was not a good time to be smitten by a complete stranger. At the masquerade no less!

As she was twirling, she saw a flash of blue and silver and abruptly, she came to a stop. Only a few meters away she stood. Beautiful, it was almost an angelic picture of how the girl moved and the soft fabric of the dress flowed. And her shoulders…. They were visible more than ever as her hair was put up in a loose, casual looking pony tail. Yet, it worked. The simplicity of her dress, mask, and hair. It just worked when it came to her.  
Her mask was elegant as can be. Silver matching the decorations on her dress, with the blue of her dress framing her eyes. All curly with the droplets and diamonds of blue and silver perfectly in place. She was the contrast of her. Dark and twisty versus light and happy. She figured, opposites attract right? It seemed almost like yin and yang.

As the music changed into a different melody, the pace of the dancers followed. A quite modern song followed but it was perfect for the masquerade. The petite girl seemed to know it as she mouthed along the words.

_"Don't take this the wrong way  
you knew who I was with every step that I ran to you…"_

Finally, she noticed the friends that the young woman was with. Two red haired young ladies danced together, although they did first offer to dance all together. But the petite girl seemed to understand; this was a song to dance to with a partner, not just a friend.

_"Only blue or black eyes  
electing strange perfections in any stranger I choose."_

But hey eyes weren't blue or black. Her eyes were a beautiful brown that was lighter than her own. But oh she hoped this stranger would choose her. No partner, no date… No, she couldn't be hoping for this bright girl not to have someone to dance with, but she couldn't help herself.

_"Would things be easier if there was a right way?  
Honey, there is no right way."_

She was standing there on the dance floor, turned to the petite woman. And right as the chorus set in, their eyes met and locked.

_"And I fall in love just a little, oh a little bit every day with someone new."_

And oh the line that kept repeating couldn't be more correct as they stood there, neither of them averting their gaze from each other. Darker staring into lighter brown. Black and gold versus light blue and silver.  
She didn't know what came over her when she walked towards the slightly shorter woman, but she did not regret a thing. When she was standing right before her, respecting each other's personal space, she presented her hand for the light angel to accept. Her hands were warm, unlike her own which were always cold, but this did not seem to trouble the young woman in front of her.

_"There's an art to life's distractions,"_

Well, yeah… She woman she was now dancing with – Holy shhh- she was dancing with her! She, who looked so beautiful, had accepted the invitation and was now actually dancing with her to this modern song as she still sang along.

_"To somehow escape the burning weight, the art of scraping through,"_

How this song was able to describe her, was beyond understanding.

_"Some like to imagine,  
the dark caress of someone else, I guess any thrill will do."_

In this case, her hand floating over the light haired girl whose name had yet to be discovered was the dark caress. The song lost its heavy meaning completely as she met the girl's eyes again. No words were ever needed to lead her in this dance.

_"Would things be easier if there was a right way?  
Honey, there is no right way."_

And she knew from that moment on as she twirled the girl underneath her arm, that there was no way she was walking out of this hall without knowing a bit more about this beautiful angel that made her view the world in slow motion.

The chorus brought the upbeat melody before the bridge slowed it down enough so that she could pull the girl a bit closer. She was unsure of what she was about to do, but all she knew was that it was now or never. After all, she only had a few seconds before the song would carry them away again.

_"I wake at the first cringe of morning  
and my heart's already sinned,"_

"What's your name, creampuff?" Her voice felt unlike her own. She wasn't nervous, or doubting the fact that she wanted to get to know this young lady. But the words flew out of her mouth like they never had before. Usually, she was so careful about the things she said or wanted to express. But somehow, she couldn't contain the little nickname she gave her.

_"How pure, how sweet a love, Aretha, that you would pray for him."_

Her cheeks flushed visibly against the silver mask before she spoke.  
"Laura. My name's Laura." She smiled.

She thought she'd never heard such a simple, yet beautiful sound. How a name and a voice could make her head spin was beyond her.

"_'Cause God knows I fall in love just a little, oh a little bit every day with someone new."_

"Yours?" the young woman now with a name asked.  
She never did this. She never got involved at parties. Especially not at the Masquerade. But she never doubted once that she would deny her the knowledge of her name.

"I'm Carmilla. Carmilla Karnstein." Her mouth was close to her ear as the song started to gain speed again. She didn't want the song to end, but she knew it would transition into a new one soon.

"Oh, right. Hollis. Laura Hollis." Laura's voice was happy, quirky, and it was clear that the young woman was a bit embarrassed about the fact that she forgot to mention her last name.

This made her smile. Carmilla Karnstein, smiling? Well, this was new to her too. There was little that could actually make her smile this easily, but somehow this young woman had managed it in less than a minute.

"Well Laura Hollis, it was a pleasure to have danced with you." She didn't know what made her say it, but she meant every word.

"The pleasure was all mine." Laura's smile remained there for quite some time. And as the last line of the song rang through the hall, she made a split second decision.

_"I fall in love just a little, oh a little bit every day with someone new."_

She twirled the girl one last time as she released her hand and disappeared into the crowd behind her before the petite woman had time to process what had happened.  
This is not what she wants, but she sticks to her rules. But most importantly, she couldn't let this beautiful happy girl be destroyed by the mess that was her life.  
If she had stayed, there would be heartbreak eventually. The only difference was that now, she could be certain it was only her heart, and not the one of the gorgeous angel named Laura. Laura Hollis.

Thank you for reading.

The song used is called Someone New by Hozier. It's quite beautiful.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2 - A light perspective

She had been nervous about going to The Masquerade for quite some time, taking time in finding the right dress and mask. And oh it had been a struggle to find shoes she could actually walk in. But that wasn't the only thing she was nervous about. This was her first ball. Ever. Her friends, LaFontaine and Perry, had convinced her to come with them. They had promised that they wouldn't let her be the third wheel, but she had her doubts about that. The struggle already began the moment she walked through the big doors of the hall. Perry and LaFontaine had agreed to meet her there, but she couldn't spot them right away. She nervously looked around, eyes drifting over everyone before she felt someone watching her. She turned around, but all she noticed were the people at the bar. She immediately noticed one figure that seemed to stand out. Her skin was light against the dark color of the dress she wore. There was something about her that she couldn't quite place…  
With a wave of a hand through her line of sight, she snapped out of the trance and greeted her friends who had finally decided to show up.

They were quite the trio. She was wearing a light blue dress with silver along the natural folds on the dress, and a mask that seemed meant to be worn with it. She had always loved this shade of blue but she never figured it would make the perfect dress. Perry, whose curly red hair was up in a bun, wore an emerald green dress which was quite simplistic but looked gorgeous on her body. It flowed as she walked besides LaFontaine who had decided on staying true to themselves and wearing a suit instead of a dress. The black dress pants and sleeveless jacket fit them perfectly. They had matched their mask with Perry's as hers was the exact color of her dress with black decorations and two black feathers stuck out the right side in contrast to the one green feather in between the darker ones. Their mask was simplistic but bigger than most masks. It covered half their face and was almost completely black except for a few artistic green lines that made sure to make the mask look more festive. Either way, they all looked incredibly elegant and dressed in theme for the masquerade that was unfolding before them.

The three of them had decided to start with a drink before actually hitting the dance floor, which made her a little nervous. She was tiny and she wasn't used to drinking. And then there was the fact that she had never been drunk before… One strong drink, and she'd be drunk for sure. Well, maybe not wasted, but tipsy enough to get a rant about it from her father when he came to pick her up. She wanted to avoid that at all cost. Then again, she felt like she had to loosen up maybe just a tiny bit.

Eventually they all moved to the dancefloor when their drinks were finished. There had been singing at the bar, but there had yet to be a dance-off. She, LaFontaine and Perry were having a lot of fun, messing around to the beat and songs that were not actually considered masquerade songs. But that's what made it all the more fun. They were classics but the DJ had added a drum and bass to it. Perry was doing some silly dance move that made LaFontaine and her laugh hysterically. But that was not the most interesting thing, or someone, in the room. In the corner of her eye, she saw the same girl she first noticed when she walked into the masquerade for the first time. Black and gold flashes caught her attention. Black and gold against a pale white skin. She didn't dare look too long at the young woman, she was a bit shy like that, though she could feel her drink from before affecting her senses. She felt… loose. Not drunk, far from it, but loose enough to allow herself to watch the woman in black dance the night away.

Perry snapped her out of the trance her mind was in. The next song was more modern than the one from before. They seemed to evolve from old to new as the night progressed. She liked this. She hadn't known what to expect when she was picking out her dress with her friends, but she couldn't imagine anything more wonderful than this. She stopped paying attention to the black and gold woman dancing on her own, and turned to her friends who kept wanting to dance with her. They all danced like nobody was watching, but someone was. As the song changed, she felt eyes on her. Her eyes. The black and gold gorgeously dressed woman in the matching mask was watching her. She noticed which song was playing and couldn't help but sing along.

Her friends asked her if it was okay to dance to this song as a pair, and she understood. She really did, but now she was standing there on her own, surrounded by couples dancing. She kept singing along, not knowing what else to do as she realized the other woman was still watching her. As the chorus set in, their eyes met and locked. Her light brown eyes staring into her darker ones. Black and gold opposite blue and silver. She was frozen in place by this mysterious woman who suddenly walked towards her. Oh- Oh! She was coming her way...  
She blinked and suddenly the slightly taller woman was standing before her, hand open as if to invite her to dance. She didn't know what came over her when she took it, but she was glad that she did. The woman's hands were cold, but oh so gentle as they led her. She didn't realize she was still quietly singing along but the beautiful dark haired woman didn't seem to mind. Not at all. In fact, she could hint the corner of her mouth curled upwards. Oh what she wouldn't do to see that small beginning of a smile spread out in a grin. She sensed that smiling wasn't a common thing for her dance partner.

Her eyes drifted upwards again, and met the darker ones again. She noticed that their steps matched perfectly. They didn't need any words to tell the other what to do or where to go. They just knew. Suddenly, she was being twirled underneath the other's arm and she grinned wide. She couldn't help it! It was simply stronger than her. She was having so much fun dancing with this mysterious woman. She didn't know why, but she needed to know more about this figure. It didn't matter to her how small a detail it would be, but she needed something.

A gasp escaped her lips as she was pulled closer. Black and gold against blue and silver. Mouth to ear. A shiver ran through her as a husky, dreamy voice spoke into her ear. "What's your name, creampuff?"  
Creampuff? Well that was one she'd never heard before. Not like people gave her a lot of nicknames but… No, she had to stop herself from ranting to herself. She felt her cheeks flush, hard, as she swallowed to find her voice.  
"Laura. My name's Laura." She finally answered. Her mind was spinning as her body was still pulled close to the still nameless woman. It then occurred to her, she should just ask, of course!  
"Yours?" was all she managed to say, completely taken aback by the presence gorgeous woman.  
She didn't actually see the woman hesitate, but she felt it in the way her shoulder tensed underneath her hand. Eventually she finally got to put a name to the black and gold woman.  
"I'm Carmilla," she said. "Carmilla Karnstein." The voice of the now named woman was so close to her ear because the song was gaining volume and speed again. She knew the bridge was over, so she knew this song would soon end. Along with their dance. She soon realized she never mentioned her last name and swiftly added: "Oh, right. Hollis. Laura Hollis." And she tried not to sound too embarrassed.

The feeling soon faded as she actually saw the woman named Carmilla smile.  
"Well Laura Hollis, it was a pleasure to have danced with you." Carmilla spoke in her oh so lovely voice. She wanted her to keep talking. To say something, anything to keep her voice alive. So she replied.  
"The pleasure was all mine." She returned the smile with one of her own before she felt the cold hand give her a slight push away from the black and gold dress.

Suddenly the cold hand slipped from hers. With a gasp leaving her lips in surprise, she came to an abrupt stop. Where the woman named Carmilla once stood was now nothing more than an empty spot waiting to be filled on the dance floor. She looked up quickly, trying to find a flash of black and gold in the crowd or bright colors. Sadly, she couldn't see through the sea of people in front of her. Too small to look over them to find the beautiful woman in black and gold with pale skin she now knew as Carmilla. Carmilla Karnstein.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3 – Back To Black

As soon as the felt the warm hands slip out of her cold ones, she knew she'd never forget the soft touch. She had tried to put her mind at ease by trying to find another dance partner for the past hour. Girls, guys, she didn't care anymore. Anyone to get her mind off Laura. In the end, she just started comparing them to the blue angel. She was still aware of how she had loved to feel her close. Face to face, chest to chest. Arms around her frame, sharing the air in between them. She simply couldn't forget.

At every flash of blue that caught her eye, she had both hoped and feared that it'd be Laura. Her heart sank every time she realized it wasn't her, but her mind continued to tell her it was a good thing. _Stick to the rules_, she thought, desperately trying to forget the beautiful girl whose image was now haunting her mind.

After the bartender started giving her a doubtful look when she had downed her fifth drink in a row, she escaped to the other side of the room where the air was fresh. She was standing at the door when she had an idea. The bathroom. Of course, she'd just freshen up, clear her mind, and then go right back to partying. Right? Right.

She entered the slightly colder room. It wasn't like she minded it. In fact, she usually liked the cold. It made her feel invincible because she was never cold, no matter how low the temperature dropped. Perks of being the creature she is. One of the few perks, though.

The bathroom was quiet, to her surprise. Only a few ladies minding their own business. She looked at herself in the mirror and gave herself a once over, straightening a fold in her dress. She looked herself in the eyes and thought to herself '_Don't be such an idiot._' She was being so out of character, so unlike herself. She'd only been swept of her feet like this once before and she had sworn to herself never to let her guard down like that again. She simply had to get them back up.  
With an adjustment of her mask and applying a bit more lipstick, she took a breath - a habit she never got rid of - and pulled the invisible walls back up.

Right at that moment, the door opened and she heard her voice. _Crap_. She pushed herself back towards one of the bathrooms and closed the door. It was a classy building, with a classy bathroom so the bathrooms were separated by walls from floor to ceiling. That always seemed better than a regular stall. Every time but this one. She could only hear the muffled voices coming from the other side of the door. It was clearly Laura talking to the two friends she came with. She heard two voices, one high pitched and one lower pitched, firing questions as Laura was still for a long time. She couldn't make out what exactly they were asking, but it didn't take a genius to figure out that they were asking about her and Laura.

She wanted to listen to the conversation unfolding on the other side but on the other hand, she wanted to stay as far away from Laura as possible. Heart and mind, battling for dominance. Eventually her heart wins. Well, the metaphor it stands for at least. It wasn't like her heart had any more purpose other than being her weak spot.

When Laura's voice replaced the other two, she held her breath. There wasn't much she could make out of the mumbling. Darn door. The only things she could make out where lots of no's, and her name. The sound of her name on Laura's lips, even through the closed door, made her smile. _Wait- No. Stop being- ugh. _She was getting annoyed with herself. This was just getting worse.

Now she was even debating if she should go out there, casually of course, and help Laura out with the questions of the two friends that just kept coming. Or if she should wait. Her mind won this round. It would be best to just sit here, wait, and then go out into the crowd again. If she would step out now, she'd just find herself spending the entire evening with Laura, and she couldn't do that. She had to keep this one safe from her life. Her mess.

She then heard footsteps away from her as the water of one of the sinks stopped running. They were gone. She finally took a breath again, her chest burning. She could live without the motion, but it wasn't a painless process to kick the habit. Once she had calmed down, she flushed the toilet – she couldn't just go out there, it would be weird – and stepped out of the stall. And once again, dark brown met lighter brown as the door behind her fell closed. _Crap._


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4 – Desire to escape

She stood there staring into the crowd, looking frantically around. She just couldn't wrap her head around what just happened these past five minutes. Being attracted to a total stranger? That had happened maybe once or twice. But being attracted to them, dancing with them, and them leaving all of the sudden without a word? That's a new one.

After a song of not dancing and just circling around the spot they were dancing, she went back to her friends who gave her a concerned look. Perry, the one with the bouncy red curls strode towards her. The look she gave her screamed that she had a million questions about who that stranger was. The stranger with the name Carmilla, Laura reminded herself. LaFontaine was following right behind Perry. Before either of them could fire their questions at her, she flashed them a smile, pushing the girl dressed in black to the back of her mind. She grabbed their hands and dragged them back towards the spot they came from.

"Let's dance!" She raised her voice to be heard above the music and started dancing to the upbeat song playing. She didn't want to think about the beautiful girl called Carmilla that had been able to sweep her off her feet with a single look, and a single dance.

She sang along as loud as she could as the classy masquerade turned into a party more and more with each song. LaF sang and danced along with Laura, but Perry remained a bit skeptical. After about three songs, Perry loosened up more and the three of them danced on until their throats begged for a drink.

Laura couldn't help but hope Carmilla would be at the bar as well. No such luck however. There was no trace of the dark haired girl. The barmen took their order and gave them their drinks. Laura ordered something stronger than her usual which she knew she'd regret later on. She didn't care right now.

Half of the sex on the beach she ordered was down in the first minute after they got their drinks. Perry warned her to slow down but Laura wouldn't have it. As long as her lips were connected to the glass, she wouldn't have to answer their questions. LaFontaine put a hand on Perry's back and nudged her towards them. She whispered something in her ear which made Perry lay off a bit. They let Laura finish her drink as they finished their own.

As soon as Laura had set her glass back on the counter, she strode back towards the dance floor. LaF and Perry barely registered that their friend had left and hurried after her. The song that started playing was by years and years. Laura loved their music. It was a little different from her usual style, but it was unique and their lyrics were so good. But now… She could have used another song.

Is it desire?

Or is it love that I'm feeling for you?

I want desire

'Cause your love only gets me abused.

It was desire, wasn't it? Well, it's can't be love… She said to herself. But there was desire there. Not just physical. There was this curiosity inside her that couldn't deal with the fact that she knew so little about this girl. This beautiful girl. She groaned to herself and shook her head. She had to stop thinking about her. But she couldn't…

She escaped to the bathroom, her friends hot on her heels. They'd been keeping an eye on her ever since she shared the dance with Carmilla about an hour ago. As soon as the sound of the party faded behind the closed door of the bathroom, Perry and LaF began their questioning.

"Who was that girl?" Perry started, obvious question.

"Was she a good dancer?" LaF followed.

"Do you know her, or is she a stranger?"

"Do you like her?"

"Where did she go?"

"Did you kiss her?"

That last question from LaFontaine made both Perry and Laura to snap their heads towards them.

"What? It's a reasonable question." They said with a shrug. "So…?"

"No! I mean… no I didn't kiss her. They would be weird." Laura said taking a deep breath.

"And dancing with a total stranger isn't?" Perry's eyes were a bit wider than normal. "Do you even know her name?"

"Yes, I do. At least I think I do. People don't lie about their name, do they?" Laura questioned aloud which made Perry sigh. Laura was oblivious sometimes.

"Look." Laura started, "All I know is that I saw her, she offered me a dance, yes she's a good dancer by the way, and her name is Carmilla." She took a breath again. "And no, I have no idea where she went. The song came to an end and when she twirled me, she let go of my hand and disappeared." Laura shrugged to herself more than to her friends. "I haven't seen her since."

Perry and LaF gave each other a look.

"Do you want to see her again?" LaF questioned.

Laura opened her mouth to speak but nothing came out.

"Is it-" She thought to herself that is was bit still decided to ask them. "Is it weird that I want to, but that I don't even know her?" She sighed and Perry smiled sadly.

"Do you want a minute to relax? We'll be on the dance floor close to the bathroom door, okay?" LaF was honestly the best.

Laura gave them a little smile and nodded. She ran her hand through her hair as she turned around and faced the mirror. She leaned on the counter and let her head fall as the door opened and closed. She took a deep breath. Come on Hollis, don't let a stranger get to you. How could a stranger affect her so badly?

She was whipped out of her train of thoughts as she heard the flush of a toiler coming from the stall behind her. She didn't plan on even looking until she saw a flash of black and gold when she looked into the mirror. She shot up and turned around to find Carmilla staring right back at her. Now that she found the girl she'd been looking for since they danced together, she was nailed to the ground.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5 - Breathe Me

Laura's mouth hung slightly open in surprise, and wonder. How much had she heard of what had been said? She was completely lost in thought, and in those beautiful dark brown eyes.  
Carmilla eventually pulled her out her train of thought after a moment.  
"I thought you left." _Oh. _  
Though there wasn't a harsh tone to it, it still felt really weird to hear those words. Even though she basically just met the woman. _What the hell is going on? _

Laura wasn't the snarky type, but that comment just pulled the words right out of her mouth.  
"Like you did?" It came out as a scoff, and so wrong but oh so good.

For a split second, Laura saw something flash in the eyes of the girl standing in front of her. It didn't last long though. Soon, the mysterious glow was back, along with the rest of her composure.

She pursed her lips and seemed to study her for a while before nodded slightly.  
"Touché," and for a moment, Laura could swear the faint hint of a smile was visible on the brunette's face.

"So, what's next? You're going to walk out on me again?" She crossed her arms and regarded the other girl.

"Well, I wasn't planning on spending the entire evening in the bathroom, Cupcake." This made her frown. Cupcake? She let it slide for now.

"Why did you have to go so soon?" Laura couldn't help but ask.

"You're just full of questions, aren't you?" Carmilla took a step forward. For a second, Laura thought she was coming towards her, but alas. The brunette turned her shoulder to brush past her towards the washbasin. How is it that this girl made her heart flutter with a single motion?

"Fine. Bye Carmilla. Nice to have met you. Or you know, not so nice." Her hands were balled up in fists as she turned towards Carmilla, who was calmly looking at Laura through the mirror.

"You see, this is how you say goodbye in a proper way." She turned around and walked straight out the door. She immediately spotted her friends and stalked towards them.

She didn't even make it to five steps before she felt a cool hand slip around one of her wrists and give her a slight tug.

"What?" She nearly spit the word out as she came face to face with the brunette again. She only now noticed that she actually wasn't that much taller than her. She just seemed grand, but wasn't.

"I never do this, okay?" A small was visible, even underneath the mask, Laura could read her facial expressions. For the first time since she met this girl, she could read off her face what she meant to say. Even if she wouldn't say the exact words.

Her frustration seemed to drain out of her as the cold fingers of Carmilla held her own close. The cold, though odd against her own skin, felt comforting. As if the cold was always supposed to be there.

"Me neither," Laura said silently. Her friends were watching them, she could feel their eyes on her. But somehow, she couldn't find herself to care.

Carmilla pulled Laura with her as she walked backwards towards another side of the room.

"I don't even know you, yet I feel like I should." Laura felt like she couldn't control her words anymore. It wasn't a lie though. It was probably the most truthful thing she'd said in her entire life. This time, she knew it for sure. Carmilla was smiling. At least one corner of her mouth moved slightly upwards.

Her hand still laid in Carmilla's as the girl stopped walking backwards and turned around to face the staircase of the ballroom. Laura aligned with Carmilla and looked up as well.

"Do you trust me?" The voice of Carmilla rang through her head. Did she? Should she?

Instead of answering, she turned her head to look at the dark girl who was still looking up. With a nod, she took the first step up the staircase.

"Where are we going?" Curiosity always got the best of her. It was a flaw and a quality all at the same time.

"Patience, Cutie." They had long left the beautiful gold paint of the ballroom behind and were now climbing narrower stairs. They passed a few servers in their white shirts and black pants with matching dress shoes, and Laura thought they would stop them from going any further. But they never did. They let them pass, and even gave a nod to greet them.

Then, Carmilla stopped very suddenly. Laura looked at her with confusion. They were standing in front of a metal door. With the hand that Laura wasn't attached to, Carmilla opened the door in one swift motion.

The cold air hit her and gave her goosebumps in an instant. The warmth of the ballroom lay behind them as they were now standing on the roof of the building. The city lights surrounded them at all angles.

The building where The Masquerade was held was old, so it was much smaller than most of the newer skyscrapers surrounding them. It was still a couple of stories high, but that was nothing compared to the couple of dozen stories the tallest skyscraper in the city had.

The music from the ballroom was muted by the floors that lay in between them. Though Laura noticed, Carmilla seemed to have a plan. A lonely pair of chairs stood a bit to the side of the roof. On one of the chairs, a blanket rested. It was as if Carmilla read her mind because she walked towards it and pulled it open. Instead of covering herself with it, she walked back towards Laura. Laura was frozen in place. She just didn't know what to do now that she was actually here with Carmilla.

The brunette walked up to her until their faces were only a breath apart. She looked the brunette straight in the eyes, she was completely mesmerized.

The soft fabric of the blanket was a comfort to her compared to the cold wind. The moment Carmilla looked her in the eyes again, her question came across wordlessly.

"I come up here sometimes," Carmilla spoke. She shrugged as if it was no big deal. To Laura, it was a magnificent sight.

Then, Laura noticed the radio standing near the chairs.

"It's beautiful up here but somehow, I don't think we're here for the view." Laura smiled and Carmilla nodded.

"Other buildings have better views. This building holds another meaning." Carmilla walked backwards again. How she hadn't tripped and fallen over the long dress, was a mystery to Laura. As were many things when it came to this girl.

This time, Laura's feet worked as her hands took the sides of the blanket to wrap it around herself. She followed Carmilla to where the two chairs stood. The other girl was already fiddling with the radio, trying to make sound come out of it.

After a few tries of twisting a button, soft music played. It was a piano tune. Soft, yet with a hard tone reinforcing the melody.

Laura didn't recognize the song, but Carmilla seemed to as she took a deep breath as the singer on the radio did as well. _Ah, so she knows this song by heart. Interesting. _

_Help, I have done it again_

As the singer sang the words, so did Carmilla. So softly, Laura had almost missed it.

_I have been here many times before_

Carmilla turned towards her now, and brought out her hand for Laura to take like she did earlier in the night.

_Hurt myself again today_

This was a sad song. Why did she want to dance to a sad song like this? Laura's thoughts ceased as she took Carmilla's hand. The other hand rested on the small of Laura's back while Laura reached over Carmilla's arm to grab her shoulder from behind. Their bodies were closer than before now, something that had seemed impossible for two strangers.

_And the worst part is there's no one else to blame_

As she word dragged out and the new line started, Carmilla started swaying them softly as she brought her mouth close to Laura's ear.

_Be my friend_

_Hold me, wrap me up_

Carmilla's voice was incredible. Laura was sure that this time, the goosebumps were from anything but the cold, and had everything to do with the stunning girl that was holding her oh so close and was singing to her.

_Unfold me_

_I am small and needy_

_Warm me up_

_And breathe me_

Carmilla pulled her face back from the close proximity to Laura's ear and looked into Laura's eyes. It was as if she was looking right through her and could see everything going on in her mind.

The moment faded as the melody picked up a beat and the pause came to an end.

_Ouch I have lost myself again_

_Lost myself and I am nowhere to be found,_

_Yeah I think that I might break_

_I've lost myself again and I feel unsafe_

There was a sadness in her voice that Laura could only describe as melancholy.

_Be my friend_

_Hold me, wrap me up_

_Unfold me_

Laura wanted to do nothing more than hold Carmilla close to her and listen to the beautiful voice she possessed.

_I am small and needy_

_Warm me up_

_And breathe me_

Every time she sang those last words of the chorus, they became more loaded with emotion. And every time, their eyes would lock. The chorus repeated once more and Carmilla gave Laura a little push to twirl her underneath her arm.

The thought that Carmilla would pull the same disappearing act did cross her mind, but this time, none of that happened. The cold hand never left hers to wander off. Her warm body was pulled towards the colder one again. Sky blue mingled with the black of Carmilla's dress and the dark blue color of the night sky.

Carmilla stopped singing as the last line of the chorus rang and left them both breathless.

Chest to chest, eye to eye, mask to mask.

Laura's eyes flicked down to glance at the brunette's lips that hovered to close to her own for only a split second.

Carmilla was no fool and knew well enough what the slightly shorter girl wanted. She lifted her hand and rested her fingers along Laura's jaw, her thumb stroking Laura's cheek. Her other hand mimicked the motion as she felt Laura's hands pull her closer by her shoulders.

Their lips brushed each other lightly, sending chills through Laura's entire body before she finally closed the small gap that was left in between their lips.

The music was long forgotten by the sensation of tender lips against her own. They moved slowly but oh so confidently. With each kiss, their mouths parted a bit more until Carmilla finally let her tongue graze along Laura's lip.

Their lips parted for each other and their minds went black.

It left her utterly breathless. Never had a kiss felt like this. Certainly not a first kiss. Maybe it was the mystery behind the mask, maybe it was the fact that she thought she'd never seen a creature more beautiful than Carmilla. But it was definitely something that mesmerized her completely.

She forgot her sense of time. She could only feel her hands traveling along Carmilla's back. One of her hands came to rest at the nape of Carmilla's neck as the other dug nails into the black fabric of the dress. Her fingers scratched the skin at her neck softly and as a result, she felt the vibrations of a moan on her lips.

Carmilla's hands hadn't been still either. One of them still rested on the side of her jawline but was caressing her while the other pulled at her waist.

Just when Laura was convinced her brain had melted because nothing was on her mind, Carmilla pulled back. Not much though. Just enough to take a much needed breath and rest their foreheads together. Her thumb on Laura's jaw never stopped the slow movements.

She smiled. Carmilla's mouth went wide as she looked from Laura's lips to her eyes and back down again. Her smile was so beautiful. A slightly crooked and teeth showing smile that Laura simply couldn't resist. She grinned in return before placing a soft lingering kiss on the lips she just couldn't get enough of.

Both were at loss for words as they stayed like that for what felt like forever. Carmilla, rather than speaking, chose to enjoy the moment some more. Laura saw a glint in Carmilla's eye. She was about to ask what Carmilla was planning when she felt two soft lips trail kisses down her jawline. Instead of words, there were only sounds.

Carmilla's lips traced feather kisses over her skin before they reached a certain spot that made Laura's breath hitch. She felt Carmilla smile ever so slightly against her skin before her lips attached itself to the flesh. Laura very much enjoyed the sensation.

"Carm-" Her moan was interrupted by a gasp as Carmilla's teeth nipped at the skin. It was sharp and different but never unpleasant. She was very aware of the fact that there would be a bruise there tomorrow, but somehow she couldn't find herself to care.

Carmilla stopped her movements very suddenly and pulled back just a little too far for Laura's liking. The cold air rushed back in between them as her arms untangled from the brunette's body.

The black and gold beauty spun around, head held in her hands.

"Carmilla?" She took a step forward. What was going on?

It was as if the girl had eyes on the back of her head because the moment Laura reached to put a hand on her shoulder, she moved further away just enough to be out of reach.

"I think you should go."

_Wait what?_

Carmilla's voice sounded very different from how it had before. Though still low and oh so sexy, there was a threatening edge to it that Laura had far from expected.

"Why?" Laura's brow furrowed and she bit her lip. "We didn't do anything wrong. I don't – "

Carmilla turned around again, her eyes were darker. Colder.

"Just go, okay? Don't ask questions you don't want the answer to." Her body was tense and screamed: stay away from me.

Laura was taken aback. She dragged her up here, danced with her, kissed her and now she asked- no, demanded her to leave?

She swallowed hard before putting on a fake neutral face. She nodded and backed away from Carmilla. She turned around and headed straight for the stairs. She pulled the door open and slammed it shut with a bit more force than needed before racing down the first flight of steps.

It was then that she realized she still wore the blanket around her shoulders. She turned to look back up the stairs and quickly decided she wasn't going back up there. Instead, she pulled the blanket off her shoulders put it on the bottom step.

For a moment, she wondered if she should leave anything else behind. But that would be entirely too "Cinderella". And besides, she wasn't even sure what had happened up there moments before. Or if she ever even wanted to see her again.

She decided against it and walked down the hallway, past the back rooms of the building and back down another two flights of stairs. She finally reached the staircase that led her to the ballroom.

She turned around once more, hoping… But alas, the hallway was still empty.

She swallowed the lump in her throat, or at least tried to, and walked down the stairs.

She saw LaFontaine and Perry close to the spot she'd left them about half an hour ago. She knew it had been half an hour because it was nearly midnight now. At midnight, the Masquerade always did something special. She knew that. But she didn't feel like celebrating. Instead, she went right past her friends, waving them off. She went back into the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror.

There were lipstick stains along her jaw and smudged on her lips. She grabbed a few paper towels in a furious motion and started wetting them, desperate to erase the traces of her lips on her skin. She still felt them lingering there. The feeling was bad enough, she didn't need any physical reminded. Though she was very aware of the slow forming bruise on her neck.

She reached up to undo the knot holding her mask up and pulled it off. She let her hair fall down out of the ponytail and laid it out carefully. If she didn't put her locks behind her ear, she'd cover the spot and no one would notice. Perfect.

The lipstick on her jaw came off quite easily, but her lips were still pink and puffy from kissing. She sighed before putting her mask back on and regarding herself in the mirror.

"Nothing happened. Everything is okay. Now let's go." With a determined nod, she turned around and walked out of the bathroom to face her friends.

Surprisingly enough, they left her alone when she said she didn't want to talk about it. That was a first for Perry. LaFontaine had a good influence on her obviously. LaF had always been more relaxed than Perry was. They got that Laura sometimes needed a bit more time to figure out what exactly was going on before spitting it all out. They were good like that.

But after a few minutes, a song started playing that reminded her so much of the dance – and kiss - she shared with Carmilla on the rooftop, that she just couldn't stay there.

She felt Carmilla's lips on hers. Every time she blinked, those dark eyes were looking back at her. That voice was singing in her ear. She just had to make it stop.

"Perr, LaF- I… I have to go." She was shaking her head as she said it.

"Laura, we still have time. We don't have to go yet." Perry answered softly but there was a hint of concern. The underlying question: Why do you want to leave?

"No, I know but- Look, I just have to go okay? You can stay here, enjoy the rest of the night. I'll call my dad and he'll come pick me up. Bye." She rambled out the words and nearly forgot how to breathe before abruptly turning and walking towards the exit.

She was already outside when Perry and LaFontaine caught up with her.

"Hey, we're not going to let you go home alone." Perry said as she put a hand on Laura's shoulder.

"Perr's right. We're coming with you. If you're out, we're out." They nodded at her reassuringly.

Laura gave them a small smile. It's all she could manage.

"Thanks LaF, Perr."

And so she called her dad and they waited.

Up on the rooftop, Carmilla flinched at the slam of the metal door. How did she always manage to screw everything up again? Oh right, monster of the undead.

The moment she'd felt that ache inside her start to grow, she pulled back from Laura. She didn't want to hurt her. But in the end, she always does either way. It's just the decision of lesser pain. Emotional or physical. One could be healed, the other? Not so much.

Her fangs were still present as she ran her hands through her hair and loosened the lint around her head. The mask was off, the party was over.

She walked towards the radio that was still playing a tune. She didn't recognize it so she changed it to the one song on the cassette that she knew by heart. It was the perfect song to remind her what happened if she hadn't stopped herself from going any further with that beautiful blue girl named Laura. It had happened with _her_ before. This is why she avoided situations like this. They all ended the same. Either in death or heartbreak.

It starts somewhere around midnight. That's when Carmilla loses herself for a minute or two. She stands there under the moonlight, as she radio plays this song about forgetting yourself for a while. The piano had this melancholy sound that used to make _her_ smile. _She_ was wearing a white dress, and Carmilla hadn't seen _her_ in a while.

Carmilla knows that _she_'s watching, laughing and turning while holding _her_ tonic like a cross. Suddenly the room is spinning when _she_ walks up and asks how she is. Carmilla can smell _her_ perfume and see _her_ lying naked in her arms.

That's when the change in her emotions hits. All the memories come rushing back to her mind. Of the curl of their bodies, two perfect circled entwined. She feels hopeless and homeless and lost in the haze of wine.

Then _she_ leaves with someone else, someone you don't know. Though _she_ makes sure Carmilla saw _her_ when she looks right at _her_. As she walks out the door, Carmilla's blood boils, her stomach in ropes while Maman says "What is it? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Then Carmilla walks under the moonlight. Too drunk to notice everyone's staring at her. She doesn't care what she looks like while the world is falling around her. If you would see her, you'd know that she'll break you in two.

This is how it went with _her_ and this is how it will be with anyone she ever cares for. Her monstrous side would make sure of that.

Carmilla knew the song by heart because she always saw the blonde in front of her when she heard it. Though is caused her so much pain to listen to it, it reminded her of the fact that she couldn't let herself go through something like that again.

She turned the radio off and walked back inside. Only ten minutes had passed since Laura left, yes it felt like much more than that. The memories of so many years ago had that effect on her.  
When she came at the last few steps, she noticed the blanket lying there. She picked it up and held it close. It smelled like the girl in blue, though it hadn't been on her for more than half an hour. Carmilla's sense of smell didn't need much, and this was just enough. She held it close with one hand as the other held her mask while she walked back onto the roof. Maybe she just needed to play that song one more time to convince herself that telling Laura to go like that had been the right decision.


End file.
